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Web log 4/19

Welcome to the Sunday Web Log!

When’s the new EverQuest server coming? The rumor mill has it that the 51/50 server — new characters start off at level 51 with 50 AAs — is in the bag. Others assume that SOE will be opening a new progression server, and have reactivated their accounts in order to start over. As near as I can tell, nothing has been announced yet, but it seems likely that we’ll be able to play on the new server, whatever kind it is, in June. Oh, and EQ players? You voted two frogs in as Mr. and Miss Norrath of 2009? I mean, grats to Kannak and Molleah but … frogs?

Thanks for the shout out, Starsong. Some of my most enjoyable times in an MMO in the past year were in Wizard 101… meeting Dr Katzenstein in his lab, or doing Kensington with Suri and Thomas… so much fun! Glad you and your family are enjoying the game! Stop by tomorrow for some special Wizard 101 goodness :)

Psyq from Dalayan Diaries shows how Shards of Dalaya is keeping up with City of Heroes (and Vanguard, too, right?) by adding “Adventuring Bands“. Like the CoH leveling pact, those in an Adventuring Band share experience with each other, online or off, so that everyone levels at the same rate no matter how much, or little, someone plays. Cool idea!

Speaking of City of Heroes, the developers handed the keys to the design studio to the players, and in ONE DAY, the players created more content for the game than the developers had been able to do in the previous five years. And the vast majority of the adventures use custom-created opponents. Sure, a lot of those adventures aren’t the best, but I have played several of them, and some are REALLY GOOD. Plus, aren’t you more likely to stick with a game that has something you made in it? Good move on the part of Paragon Studios, and that’s ANOTHER feature I’d like to see in more MMOs.

Green Armadillo has just gone from level 1 to 50 in EverQuest II and writes about his experience in Player vs Developer. His verdict? He strongly recommends “EQ2 to players who enjoy solo PVE content who are looking for a change of pace”.

It’s been a week for new EQ2 players to admit that the game has really made incredible progress since its launch. Ysharros of Stylish Corpse shows how the game has transformed from drab and colorless to a stylish world drenched in color. And she hasn’t even been to Maj’Dul yet!

Todd Klein over at Todd’s Blog explains how the Microsoft Windows Comic Sans font is EVIL. He’s a pro letterer, and explains how this last vestige of the ill-fated Microsoft Bob project came to be and bemoans the millions of amateur comic makers (me included, alas) who think this is what comic lettering looks like. I went right to Blambot.com and made amends by buying one of their REAL comic fonts, which I try out in the panel at the bottom of this post. That’s Blambot Classic, and I’ll probably pick up Blambot Casual as well, because I prefer having lower case letters, I think. Blambot Classic can use much smaller point sizes and remain readable, though… it’s 8 point type in the panel.